Bachmann Struggles to Come Back from Her HPV Controversy

After lurching into crazy territory, linking the vaccination for human papillomavirus with mental retardation earlier this week, Michele Bachmann is trying to regain some credibility. Her latest effort is this cheap-o video with poor audio quality, where she repositions her HPV argument.

As a mom of three daughters I believe that parents are the ones who should decide whether or not our young daughters should receive injections for sexually transmitted diseases. I think these are decisions better left to parents. Whether its Obamacare or whether its Perrycare, I oppose any governor or president who mandates a family's health care choices and in turn violates the rights of parents on these issues.

She doesn't address her scientifically unfounded claim, and instead focuses on Perry's "crony capitalism" as a sign of possible future healthcare tyranny with "Perrycare." As Slate's Dave Weigel points out, "she's totally abandoned the medical issue. No more tales of upset mothers whose kids became retarded after getting Gardasil'd. Without that, you've got the argument that one executive decision by Perry, to provide vaccines for young girls, is the lodestone of his health care policy. This is supposed to be the less crazy argument."

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.

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